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and then returned to base early on the morning of 21 January 1991. No  sooner did they land than they were told to refuel, rearm and go back up for another strike. This time weather precluded an attack, and they  returned home four hours after take off. (37)
THE SECOND ATTACK ON THE NUCLEAR RESEARCH FACILITY 
   (U) At 0710 (L) on 20 January 1991, the 69th launched eight aircraft to participate in a packaged strike against a nuclear research facility on the outskirts of Baghdad. The weather continued to hamper flying by contributing undercasts to the other Iraqi defenses. The Iraqis themselves brought in smoke generators to help obscure the target, which made the target more difficult to locate. Lt Col Hylton appraised the target  "..as probably the most heavily defended place in Baghdad." He described the air defenses as "...about twice as heavy there...". Again, despite the defenses, the strike aircraft drove home their attacks and destroyed the target. (38)
	(U) Not all aspects of the campaign went as smoothly as others. Weather continued to give the operations planners problems.        On 21 January 1991, the 69th canceled three missions because the weather over the target area precluded an attack. The weather seemed to provide Iraq a far better defense than their weapons and radar. Iraq launched ten more SCUDs this time at Riyahd and Dhahran. Patriot missiles intercepted them before the missiles did any damage. Capt Kenneth Thompson, after two days at King Fahd, ferried an ailing aircraft back to Al Minhad. Upon landing, the crew chief examined the aircraft, which suffered from a broken bearing in the first fan.  Ten minutes of flying time remained before the aircraft would have run completely out of oil. (39) 

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